Marijuana is Bad, Worsens Symptoms of PTSD

Veterans deserve quality care. Today, Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) plans to offer an amendment to the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, in an effort to make it easier for veterans to access medical marijuana.The Blumenauer Amendment to allow the Veterans Administration to prescribe “medical marijuana” for veterans suffering from PTSD will cause the death and/or destruction of many veterans, and many others at their mercy.

All credible scientific studies indicate that marijuana use makes mental illnesses worse, not better. Furthermore, Judge Kimberly Mueller recently upheld the Schedule I status of marijuana, meaning no medical application and potential for abuse. There are numerous studies showing that today’s highly potent pot causes psychotic breaks leading to violent acts and suicides. It is not a treatment for depression, paranoia and schizophrenia. Rather, it is a causal factor.

The American Psychiatric Association officially does not endorse using marijuana for PTSD. For that matter, the FDA and all credible medical associations don’t recommend marijuana for medical use at all, because it has no accepted medical application, cannot be administered properly under supervision and has the potential for harm. And harm, indeed, is what is happening throughout America because of today’s highly potent pot, called Skunk, being sold under the guise of medicine.

Calling Skunk “medical marijuana” in itself is a joke. CBD, the potentially beneficial compound has been largely bred out in favor of THC, the psychoactive ingredient. The potency has climbed from 1/2 to 2% THC, to as high as high as 40% in smoked form and 95% as Butane Hemp Oil (BHO). That is not medicine. It is a lethal weapon. The result has been psychotic episodes, mass murders and suicides from coast to coast. Fortunately it doesn’t happen to everyone, but it is happening to enough young people that Congress should take note and defer to medical science and the FDA as to what constitutes a safe and efficacious medicine.

One highly visible example of how marijuana exacerbates the problem is Eddie Routh, who shot American Sniper Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield who were trying to help him because of his PTSD. According to Dr. Randall Price, a forensic psychologist who testified as the prosecution’s medical expert, “ …Routh’s heavy marijuana use caused a “substance-induced psychotic disorder.”

Fortunately not everyone who uses Skunk lapses into mental illness, but Routh is not an isolated case. We have grieving mothers from coast to coast because their sons or daughters had a psychotic break and committed suicide. We have mothers suffering psychotic episodes who have killed their own babies. In one case a woman suffering postpartum depression, self-medicated with marijuana and decapitated her 3 month old baby. Marijuana has been a factor in most school shootings, the Boston Bombers, the Aurora theater, the Tucson shooting that killed six and left Congresswoman Gabby Giffords brain damaged, and many more.

The fact that 23 states have been allowed to decriminalize marijuana for medicinal purposes is indicative of a lapse in government responsibility. Protecting public health and safety should be the number one responsibility of government at all levels. We are counting on Congress to safeguard our veterans; for that matter, all of us.

Stop Pot is a non-partisan grassroots campaign started by citizens concerned about the damaging health effects, both physical and mental, of marijuana. We are also concerned about the impact of marijuana on the environment.

Post navigation

2 thoughts on “Marijuana is Bad, Worsens Symptoms of PTSD”

I think if one reads about the degree of substance abuse among our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, we might have a medical reason behind the sharp increase in diagnosed PTSD’s as compared to combat situations of year’s past. That is, PTSD in the military has surged relatively to previous wars, and not only that, many of the troops there, but not actually in combat action, are also acquiring PTSD. That is, they’re there as support troops and not engage in combat, yet they acquire PTSD anyway, it appears. Is that really valid?

Understandably we must respect and honor their duty, and acknowledge PTSD is a real consequence that does occur, to be fair and honest with ourselves, we must ALSO realize that substance abuse itself can also be a major contributing factor for mental disorders that lead to or exacerbate PTSD.

What many might erringly think is the cure, may actually be a contributing, or even underlying cause!

On the one hand, we must seek whatever medications that can help our suffering vets, but on the other we can not let them, ourselves or general society be hoodwinked and conned by the marijuana lobby. The fact that the marijuana lobby is latching onto and exploiting this angle, that is pot might be the “only cure” for PTSD, is despicably shameful.

Yet, for the most part, our society looks the other way, unwitting and clueless.